Saturday, May 25, 2013

This week, I am asking you dear readers to give a warm welcome to the classic beauty, Miss Julie Leah of the life & style blog Julie Leah! Each time she posts an outfit, she manages to pull off this gorgeous, timeless nod to the 50s (which you KNOW I love), all while tying in the most trendy of accessories and keeping the look fresh and up to date! I will also say that something about her just seems so sweet and approachable- then after interviewing her, I realized that she works as a school counselor! It really does take a person with a big heart to work with children.

I have a feeling if we ever meet in person we would just hit it off ;)

Without further ado, here are Julie's responses to the WUYW blogger spotlight interview. If you haven't yet had the opportunity to check out her blog, please do yourself a favor and get over there ASAP. I am pretty sure she secretly doubles as a fabulous interior decorator!

WUYW: Of all of your posts, which outfit or feature has been your
absolute favorite thus far?

Surprisingly, I haven’t been doing outfit posts that long –
since around December of last year. Of the personal style posts that I’ve done
so far, my favorite is this recent outfit from a blogger collaboration I’m
working on. I think this outfit captures my style and personality perfectly.

WUYW: Why would you consider this your best post to date?

This outfit is just so “me.” Do you ever have those outfits
that just make you feel super confident, girly, and pretty? That’s how I feel
in this dress. I don’t know if it’s the ladylike details or the fact that I was
able to punch it up with a bold necklace (I’m an accessories girl), but this is
definitely my favorite outfit I’ve documented so far.

WUYW: How/why/when did you decide to start a fashion blog?

I started my blog in October of 2009. As so many bloggers
do, I had just started my first “real job” and was desperately seeking a
creative outlet. My best friend suggested I start a blog – keep in mind, at the
time, I had no idea what a blog was! I did a little research and launched my
blog, Brown Eyed Belle. As my blog has grown and evolved, about a year ago I
decided to change the name to Julie Leah: A life & style blog – everyone
knew me from my other social media accounts as Julie Leah and it just seemed to
fit. It seemed like the name captured more of who I am as a person outside my
blog and helped me reach an audience I felt like I wasn’t connecting with before.
I’ve kept my blog alive because it has truly become part of who I am and brings
me inspiration every day. I can’t imagine my life without my blog – or the
wonderful people (lifelong friends) I’ve met through blogging. It’s truly been
a blessing.

WUYW: What was your biggest hesitation regarding starting a blog,
and how did you overcome that hesitation?

My biggest hesitation was getting past the “perfection”
hump. Whenever I start a project, I put my heart and soul into it – I give one hundred
percent. And I didn’t want my blog to be any different. I struggled over the
design, the photos, every post – was I saying what I really wanted to? Were
people reading my ramblings? Did anyone care? My blog has grown as I’ve grown
over the past three years and just in the last year do I really feel like I’ve
become the blogger that I’ve been striving to be. There’s certainly still more
to learn, but I feel content with where I am.

WUYW: What would be your biggest piece of advice for others who
are just starting a blog?

I’ve written lots of “advice” posts for bloggers – you can
read them all here. But my biggest piece of advice for beginners is this -
interact with your audience and other bloggers. Respond to tweets and comments,
tweet about posts that you liked from another blogger, say “thank you” when
someone leaves a comment on Instagram. Being nice is always in style and it
definitely applies in the blogging community. Create original content – take
your own photos, create your own collages, create a space that people come to
looking for inspiration and answers.

WUYW: What do you do for a living?

I’m a school counselor at a Catholic elementary/middle
school. Counselor by day, blogger by night!

WUYW: How would you describe your style?

My style is classic with a twist. I’m a fan of pieces that
never go out of style, but I also love to throw in trendy pieces, as well. I
like mixing high and low items from my closet to create fun, eye-catching
combinations. You’ll find me in everything from blazers to sequin tees, black
dress pants to colored denim. And as I mentioned above, accessories are a huge
part of my getting ready routine – jewelry, bags, shoes – I can’t get enough!

WUYW: If you could only save one item from your closet (heaven forbid),
what item would it be?

This is one answer that would change from week to week
and season to season. But right now, I would probably say my Coach bag from the
Legacy Collection. It’s my most recent “investment” purchase and I truly love
it. The color is watermelon – isn’t that so perfect? Now that I think about it,
I wish I had something more sentimental!

WUYW: Who or what is currently influencing your style the most?

I’m constantly inspired by so many people/things. I’m in the
midst of a revamp of my townhouse – not a remodel, just changing colors and
décor – so lately I’ve been inspired by design blogs and all the fabulous
“interior inspiration” boards on pinterest. On any given day, though, I’m
inspired by my favorite bloggers and tastemakers. I have certain sites that I
check every day for new content, pinterest accounts that I stalk, and online
magazines that I click through multiple times.

WUYW: If you could trade closets with anyone, who would it be
with?

I
would have to say either Deborah Lloyd (can you imagine all the amazing Kate
Spade pieces she has!) or SJP – if I could have them both, my closet would be a
dream come true!

Another Monday following a super fun weekend! We went out to dinner and to see "The Lion King" on Broadway Friday night. Saturday we went to the Scholastic Warehouse Book Sale- excuse me while I have a nerdy teacher moment- it was so awesome! All of these children's books were 50% off or more, which is great because, if you haven't heard, I am moving down from fourth grade to first grade beginning in August. This means I am pretty much rebuilding my classroom library from scratch! We also saw "The Great Gatsby" on Saturday night- which I personally thought was amazing.

I cannot believe this is officially my last week of school as a fourth grade teacher. Definitely bittersweet. I have only ever taught fourth grade, so I am a little nervous AND excited about my upcoming move.

Also, we leave for Destin, FL as of this upcoming Saturday- so excited!

Saturday, May 18, 2013

So excited about today's blogger spotlight feature, which is featuring the adorable Emily Gemma from The Sweetest Thing! I stumbled upon Emily's blog back in December while home for Christmas break. I had seen a pin on Pinterest and followed it to her blog- needless to say, I spent the next several hours perusing through all of her previous posts. Not only does Emily have impeccable, classy taste, she also is amazing at doing hair and makeup.

One of my favorite things about her blog is her complete honesty with her readers about stores, poducts, etc. She has some really great tips for finding steals and the look for less. Don't believe me? Head on over to her blog to check it out! Or, check out Lauren Conrad's opinion of The Sweetest Thing, since she was hand picked as one LC's fabulous bloggers!

WUYW: Of all
of your posts, which outfit or feature has been your absolute favorite
thus far?

Of
all of my posts, I’d have to say my favorite post/feature is this one. I wrote
it right after Lauren Conrad featured me on her website!

WUYW: Why
would you consider this your best post to date?

I
was in total shock with I was featured on LC.com. Personally, I was always on
the fence about blogging, for some reason, people see blogging as “vain” so I
just wasn’t comfortable with those type of judgments. When I was featured on LC’s
site, it gave me the confidence to keep it up. Plus, I’d been praying about it
and it seemed mighty coincidental that I was getting such great feedback.

WUYW: How/why/when
did you decide to start a fashion blog?

I
actually never intended to have a “fashion” blog. It was meant to be read by my
close friends and family, not strangers! Somehow it just kept morphing into
other things, beauty, hair, style, etc. I don’t hate it!

WUYW: What
was your biggest hesitation regarding starting a blog, and how did you
overcome that hesitation?

As I
said before, our society is so hard on bloggers. People saying “who does she
think she is writing about herself and her life!” or “why does she take so many
photos?” Those comments always got back to me – but the good outweighed the
bad. When I would get e-mails from women telling me I inspired them, helped
them, encouraged them, etc. I knew I
was making a positive impact.

WUYW: What
would be your biggest piece of advice for others who are just starting a
blog?

If
you are just starting a blog, I recommend doing MAJOR networking. Make friends.
Leave comments. Learn. And most
importantly – BE YOU. My mom has taught me that the original is always
better than the replica so if you are you – it will be great!

WUYW: What
do you do for a living?

Funny
you ask, lol! Right now I am managing a clothing boutique. As I was graduating with
my MBA, I was also falling in love with my now husband. He’s a 3rd
year medical student so we are constantly moving. I just take jobs wherever I
can get them to get us through this rough years.

WUYW: How
would you describe your style?

I am
not sure how you’d describe my style. I like simplicity but pops of funkiness.
I love bright colors, prints, and lots of jewelry. If I am in a hurry one day,
I am usually dressed in my go-to preppy style.

WUYW: If you could only save one item from your closet (heaven forbid), what item would it be?

WUYW: Who or what is currently influencing your style the most?I am inspired A. by my mom’s style (she’s got amazing taste!) and B. by Rachel from Pink Peonies. Not so much her current style but I love how she used to dress!

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About Me

About the Author: I created Wake Up Your Wardrobe as a way to showcase my personal sense of style and love of all things fashion. I truly appreciate you stopping by, and hope you enjoy reading this blog as much as I enjoy writing it! -xo, Morgan